The Communication Habits That Help Startups Build Real Authority

You have the ambition. You have the drive. But if your words don’t carry the same weight, you’ll always feel like you’re playing catch-up. Getting people to listen, truly listen, is a craft. Strong executive communication skills are what separate the people who lead from those who are overlooked.

I’ve seen it firsthand for years, working my way up to an executive role. I’ve watched leaders who command a room and others who shrink in the background. The good news is that you can learn these skills. You can build powerful executive communication skills that make people respect and follow your lead.

Table of Contents

• Speak to Lead, Not Just to Be Liked
• Keep Emotions Out of the Boardroom
• Project Authority in Your Executive Communication Skills
• Harness the Power of Storytelling
• Adapt Your Communication to the Medium
• Ask Better Questions to Find Better Answers
• Say What You Mean and Stop Oversharing
• Conclusion

Speak to Lead, Not Just to Be Liked

This first point can feel a little uncomfortable. You need to shift your mindset. You must stop speaking to be liked and start speaking to lead.

Think about the most successful people you know. Do they sound uncertain? Or do they speak with conviction? They carry themselves with the mindset that they are a leader, even before they have the official title.

It’s a simple change in perspective, but it changes everything. When you communicate with less certainty, it shows. It erodes your credibility without you even realizing it. But you can make a few simple tweaks to how you speak to sound more certain.

The most important thing is to mean what you say. Only say things you are truly confident in. Effective leaders have a clear point of view. They use their life experiences to frame their perspective, and they stand by it.

Remember, you are in that room for a reason. Your point of view matters. It has value. Doubting yourself only invites others to doubt you, too. This is a foundational element of leadership development.

Let’s look at some simple language swaps. Many people soften their statements by saying “I think” or “I feel.” This actually makes you sound less credible. It’s obvious you are thinking or feeling it, so just state the point.

Consciously practice removing these qualifiers. Instead of saying, “I think we should try this approach,” say, “The best path forward is this approach.” See how much stronger that sounds?

Here’s another example. Avoid saying, “I feel like this might work.” Instead, try, “Here is a strategy that will get us this result.” By removing yourself from the statement, you instantly increase your authority. This is not about being arrogant; it is about being clear and direct. This small change in your communication can have a massive impact on how people see you.

This kind of language shift is a common focus in executive coaching. A coach can help you identify your personal verbal tics that undermine your authority. Overcoming the habit of using tentative language is a significant step in your career advancement.

Keep Emotions Out of the Boardroom

Have you ever seen someone have a complete emotional outburst at work? It’s awkward for everyone. Your emotions can make you sound reactive and unsure.

We have a saying: high emotion, low intelligence. People who are always wrapped up in drama and outrage rarely find long-term success. They are often surrounded by chaos instead of wins.

That is because when you use more emotion, you use less logic. Strong feelings cloud your judgment and ability to make good decisions. Great leaders are masters at separating a situation from their emotional reaction to it. This skill is often called emotional intelligence, or EQ.

A high level of emotional intelligence allows you to analyze facts and make a logical choice very quickly. You can trust your own decision-making process because you know it is not based on a fleeting emotion. Your decisions are based on logic and data-driven insights, which is the heart of strategic thinking.

I saw this happen just the other day. Someone had an emotional outburst during a difficult conversation. Their inability to handle a bit of rejection with grace instantly damaged my confidence in them.

I saw this person through a new lens. They make decisions based on how they feel. When I looked closer, I could see a pattern of missed opportunities in other areas of their work. A leader needs the trust of their team to succeed. By definition, you cannot be a leader if people do not follow you.

So how do you stay calm under pressure? I use a simple visual to help me. I imagine myself as a flexible blade of grass. If a rock falls onto a blade of grass, the grass bends with the pressure. Then, it bounces right back to its original shape.

Now, think of a toothpick in the same situation. A toothpick is rigid and hard. When that same rock falls on it, it breaks. It is too frail to handle the pressure.

In tough conversations, do not be a toothpick. Do not get rigid and try to prove someone wrong. Be the blade of grass. Let the situation and the other person’s emotions pass through you. You can listen to their data without absorbing their negativity. This allows you to respond logically, not emotionally.

Project Authority in Your Executive Communication Skills

Do you ever feel like you are being interrupted or talked over? The secret to getting people to stop interrupting you is to speak with more authority. Great leaders do not just speak more; their words carry more weight. This is a core part of building your executive presence.

Every conversation you have is an opportunity to make an impact. When you start thinking this way, you’ll show up to every meeting differently. As a leader, you have a hundred things fighting for your attention.

You have a long to-do list and plenty of emails to answer. So, if you choose to be in that room, you need to be there for a reason. If you find yourself in a meeting and realize you have nothing to add, you should probably leave.

A true leader knows where their time is best spent. They prioritize their energy on the most important tasks. So, before I walk into any room, I ask myself a simple question. What is my target here?

Knowing my target gives me a sense of authority because I am clear on why I am there. So many people just go through the motions of their day. They show up to meetings without a clue why they were invited.

They listen with half an ear while thinking about something else. This is not what leaders do. Leaders know their time is valuable, and they spend it solving problems. Your personal branding is defined by these moments of focus and intention.

If you feel like you lack authority, take a hard look at where you’re spending your time. Go to meetings with the intention to participate. Develop a point of view on the topic. Your authority will grow because you’ve taken a few minutes to think through the problem and why you’re there.

Another big part of this is how you present yourself physically. Watch how successful people communicate. I do not mean just listen. I mean watch them. They don’t slouch or fidget. They sit up straight with their shoulders back. This body language shows confidence.

They use their hands to gesture in a controlled space, right in front of their body. Neither are they playing with their rings or tapping their feet. They can sit comfortably and have a direct, eye-to-eye conversation. You can do this, too. Throw your shoulders back, sit up a little taller, and you will instantly look more confident.

The way you project your voice also says a lot about your confidence. This was something I had to work on for a long time. I used to get quieter when I was voicing my opinion. The reason was obvious: I wasn’t certain of my own opinion. I did not feel like I could be passionate and excited about my idea. You could tell I was uncertain by the low volume of my voice.

I had to actively work on this through public speaking practice. I had to practice speaking louder and with more clarity. Every time I started to whisper, I would correct myself in the moment. When you find yourself whispering or fidgeting, just remember that the future you does not do that. You can fix it right then and there.

Harness the Power of Storytelling

Facts and figures are important, but they do not move people to action. Stories do. Storytelling for leaders is a powerful tool that helps translate a vision into something tangible and relatable. It is one of the most effective ways to build connection and influence.

Think about a presentation that truly stuck with you. Was it a spreadsheet filled with data, or was it a narrative that illustrated a challenge and a triumphant solution? Stories bypass our analytical defenses and speak directly to our emotions, making your message more memorable and persuasive.

A simple framework can help you structure your narratives for maximum impact. Start with the Situation, setting the scene and introducing the key players. Then, introduce the Complication, which is the problem or obstacle that needs to be overcome. Finally, deliver the Resolution, showing how the challenge was met and what was learned. This structure provides a clear and compelling arc.

Use stories in team meetings to celebrate a win or explain the “why” behind a new initiative. Use them in stakeholder communication to build trust and show the human impact of your work. Effective storytelling demonstrates both empathy and strategic thinking, showing you can connect with people on a human level while driving business results.

Adapt Your Communication to the Medium

A great leader is a master of many communication forms. Your message’s effectiveness often depends on the channel you choose to deliver it. A broad communication strategy that considers the medium is essential in today’s workplace.

Virtual communication has become a daily reality. On a video call, your energy must be more intentional. Look directly into the camera to simulate eye contact, ensure your lighting is good, and use a clear microphone. Your executive presence can either be enhanced or diminished by how you show up on screen.

Written communication, like email or Slack, requires precision and clarity. Without the benefit of tone and body language, your words can be easily misinterpreted. Be direct, reread your messages to check for ambiguity, and use formatting like bullet points to make your message easy to scan. Consider the audience; a quick Slack message to your team will be very different from a formal email to the board.

In-person meetings remain the gold standard for difficult conversations or collaborative brainstorming. The ability to read body language and feel the energy in the room provides invaluable data. Being a confident leader in these settings requires active listening and the ability to guide the conversation effectively.

Ask Better Questions to Find Better Answers

Here’s something that might surprise you. You do not need all the answers to be a great leader. But you do need to know how to ask the right questions. Your ability to ask insightful questions is a direct reflection of your critical thinking skills.

The best leaders are professional problem solvers. They tackle the most complicated issues in a business. Complicated problems usually come with confusion and no clear path forward. As an effective communicator, your job is to ask questions to bring clarity and find the missing information needed to make the best decision.

I like to think of this as untangling a knotted necklace. It is a frustrating mess at first. But you start by gently pulling on one piece at a time. Slowly, you figure out where the core knot is.

Your job as a leader is to untangle a lot of necklaces. The best leaders can do this better than junior team members simply because they ask more questions. They do not pretend to know everything. Asking smart questions positions you as a source of thought leadership, guiding your team to find their own solutions.

Often, you will not know what to do when you enter a room. It might be a totally new problem. That is okay. Great leaders guide conversations by asking powerful and strategic questions. This helps the whole team think more critically.

Challenge yourself to improve the quality of your questions. This simple shift can dramatically change the outcome of a discussion. It moves the focus from opinion to fact-based analysis.

The quality of your questions will determine the quality of your results. This is a skill I learned as a kid. My parents taught me the “question game.” At social events, they would challenge me to go talk to an adult and ask them three questions.

I was terrified, but it was an amazing practice. It taught me how to overcome fear and keep a conversation going. Practicing how to ask good questions is one of the most valuable things you can do for your career.

Say What You Mean and Stop Oversharing

This final skill is where most people make a mistake. You have to stop oversharing and overexplaining. I will never forget the first time I had to fire someone.

I was 23, and my boss coached me on exactly what to say. But when the time came, I panicked. Instead of being direct, I started overexplaining. I talked about how wonderful the person was and how much I liked them.

The more I talked, the more tense and uncomfortable I became. So what happened? We just had a nice chat, and the person still had a job. It was embarrassing and the complete opposite of what a confident leader would do.

When you know what you need to say, just say it. You can be direct with grace. Overexplaining is a clear signal that you are not confident in your own message. You are seeking validation that you do not need.

Have you ever been on a flight where the pilot keeps talking? They are coming in for a landing, but then they pull up and circle again. They just restate what they have already said. As a listener, it is uncomfortable. It clearly shows the person is nervous.

Do not be the airplane that never lands. Be direct. Confident CEOs get authority because they are deliberate with their words. They say what they mean, and then they stop talking. This verbal discipline demonstrates a high level of persuasion and self-assurance.

A practical technique to practice this is the “Bottom Line Up Front” or BLUF method. State your main point or request in the very first sentence. This shows respect for others’ time and projects confidence. You can provide supporting details afterward if needed, but the core message is delivered immediately.

Conclusion

Developing these executive communication skills is not about learning secrets. They are observable habits that successful people practice every day. By focusing on your leadership development in these key areas, you can fundamentally change how you are perceived at work.

Speak to lead with confident language, not to be liked. Manage your emotional intelligence to stay logical under pressure. Project authority and executive presence through your intentional actions and body language. Use storytelling for leaders to inspire and influence, adapt your communication strategy for different mediums, and ask powerful questions to foster critical thinking.

Finally, be direct and concise to show respect and confidence. Mastering your executive communication skills will change the trajectory of your career advancement. You will finally be heard, respected, and followed. Start with one of these skills this week, practice it consciously, and build from there.